Proces of refining zinc and other metals.



No- 827,418. PATENTED JULY 31, 1906.

. 'J. GALLMANN & R. BORMANN.

I PROCESS OF REFINING zmc AND OTHER METALS.

APPLICATION 11,215 r1212. 15. 1906.

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uisurnn STATES PATENT OFFICE. T

JACOB OALL ANN AND RUDOLF .IBORMANN, oF BERLIN, GERMANY. PROCESS OF REFINING ZIIIINC AND OTHER METALS.

To all whom zit mag concern:

Be it known that we, JACOB CALLMANN and 'RUDOLF BORMANN, manufacturers, subjects of the Kingof Prussia, German Em- 1 peror, residing at 15 Gitschinerstrasse, Bern, Germany, have invented new and useful .Improvements in the Process of Refinin I is a specification.

' h an 'iron, in conse uence 0 I of the present invention is contrary to the- .method and fitted the zinc-vapor.

Zinc and other Metals, of which the following It-is well known that zinc produced by distillation always contains a greater or smaller pro ortion of other metals, articularly lead f w'hich it has to undergo the so-cal ed process of refining in order to make it pure. This is done either by remelting it or by distilling ita second time in retorts or crucibles, (well-like furinace s,) which is an intermittent process, as the retorts and furnaces require attending to and stirring up. a

The refining process which is the subject foregoing one, a continuous process, It is based on distillation, and its characteristic is that the zinc is distilled while in a liquid cond tion andfflowing in a thin stream through a plpe, which is heated by, say, a regeneration with discharge-pipes for The process, which is also adapted for very gross zino waste and dregs, as well as for other metals is carried out as follows: A plpe of refractory or fire-resisting material is connected with a vessel containing the zinc to be refined in a molten condition. This I pipe is slightly inclined and opens either into a vessel intended for the rece tion of the impurities melted during the distilling rocess or into a retort, which is also somew at inclined and heated. While the outflow 'of'the molten z1nc from the abovementioned vessel into the pipe is regulated by suitable appliances in such a way that the fluid zinc passes boiling-point an on through the pipe in-a thin stream or layer and only flows into it as it evaporates, the pipeis best maintained by regenerative heatmg at such a tem erature that at the inflow eign metals in a more or'less molten condi- Specification of Letters Patent,

* tion pass into the receiving vessel at the end of the said pipe intended for-themand from which they can-be taken away; A retort or crucible may be fixed between the pipe and the last-mentioned receiving vessel, the heat- Patented July 31,1906. Arrilicationfiled FehruaiylBJQOfi. Serial No,301,1 i I supply being regulated in such a way that the boiling-point of zinc will only be reached in the retort, to which also the zinc Will'fiOW-lh only small quantities. While the zinc-vapors escape through the neck of the retort,

the foreign metals flow oif through an aperture close to the bottom of the retort into the receiving vessel. In order to insure as far as possible a perfect distribution in the pipe and retort ofthe zinc to be distilled, the latter are filled with pieces of fire-resisting or inert materials, such as fire-brick .and the like. Instead of fire-resistingor inert materials pieces of coal may advantageously be used, as these combine with the oxygen in the pipe and prevent the zinofrom being OX1- dized. On the other hand, however, if dregs ofzinc containing oxygen are treated by this roces's the coal will abstract the oxygen 0m these dregs and also from the oxygenous foreign metals, so that the zinc as well as the foreign metals are obtained in a pure metallic condition;

One form of apparatus by which the proc- 'ess herein described may be carried out is illustrated in the accom anying drawing, inv

which the apparatus is s own in longitu section. v

v a is a vessel containing the zinc to be refined in a molten. condition. The'receptacle is tapered toward the bottom in a form of a inal funnel and adjusted to a slightly-inclined "pipe I). By means of a spindle-valve 0, ar-

ranged inside the receptacle a, the inflow of the molten zinc into pipe?) is thereby regulated. This can be observed b looking through an aperture (1, closed wit mica'or other suitable transparent material. The pipe 1) opens into a m'uffle f, which again is fixed to a condensation-chamber 9, serving to receive the refined zinc, While its other extremity is joined to a receptacle '1', by means of a pipe 'k. The said receptacle '5 serves as collector for. the impurities molten during the process of distillation. The impurities are carried off by the lifting of a cover 70, while the refined 'zine isremoved across the tap- ,pin holes 1. r v

, .he device. is cased in a masonry m, and a partition-wall .n is provided in order to allowthe fuel-gases serv ng for. heating the device to pass outwardly and across the outlet 0 and further across the whole device, as indicated by arrows p. g

Any'suitable gas burning at high tem erature is conducted across tube 8 towar the burners r, and thus heats the muflle f. The moltenzinc passing from the tube 1) into the muffie is here rapidly evaporated, and the vapors are condensed in the condensationchamber'g. The gases play now around the partition-wall n and arrive in the upper compartment t of the casing m and heat here the tube 1) naturally in such. a manner that the one extremity of this tube is heated to the highest degree, while the other one remains at the lowest at its commencement. Before the gases escape across the outlet 0 they play around the receptacle a and have still suflicient high temperature that they keep. the contents of this receptacle in molten condition. The result of this arrangement is that the molten zinc in tube b is assuming a higher condition of heat the more it approaches the end of the tube and evaporates already when arriving at the mouth of the tube, where it opens into the muffie f.

Whatwe claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The continuous process of refining'zinc and other metals, which consists in melting the metal, passing it in a molten condition and in a thin stream or layer through a suitable conduit, and subjectin it to a graduallyincreasing heat in said con uit until the boiling temperature thereof is reached.

2. The continuous process of refining zinc and other metals, which consists in melting the metal, passing it in a molten condition and in a thin stream or layer through a suitable conduit, subjecting it to a temperature of about the meltingoint of zinc at the point of its entrance to said conduit, and subjecting it to a gradually-increasing heat while passing through said conduit until the boiling tem erature of the zinc is reached or excee ed.

3. The continuous process of refining zinc and other metals, which consists in melting the metal, passing it in a molten condition and in a thin stream or layer throu h a suitable conduit, subjecting it to a gra ually- 1n creasing heat in said conduit until the boiling temperature is reached, condensing the vapors of the zinc and collecting the foreign materials in a molten condition.

4. The continuous process of. refining zinc and other metals, which consists in melting the metal, passing it in a molten condition and in a thin stream or layer through a mass of coal in a suitable conduit, and subjecting it to a gradually-increasing heat in said conduit until the boiling temperature thereof is reached.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two witnesses.

JACOB CALLMANN. RUDOLF BORMANN. Witnesses:

- RACHMIEL KIESLER.

PAUL VOAGK. 

